For many, many decades upright wood posts and poles have been used as supports for such things as barbed wire, electric wire, telephone lines, wood fences, buildings, etc. All of these supports have had one thing in common, the decaying process of the wood. The life span of the wood post or pole has depended upon the type of wood used, whether the wood was treated with a preservative such as creosote, and of course, the climate conditions. In arid areas, wood posts last much longer than in areas which receive heavy rainfall throughout the year. In a desert area, a treated wood post or pole buried in the earth might last 15-20 years, whereas in very wet areas the same wood post or pole might not last five or six years before replacement is necessary.